Peter Lepage
Andrew H. and James S. Tisch Distinguished University Professor Emeritus.
Quantum field theory; renormalization techniques and effective field theory, with applications in particle physics, condensed matter physics, and nuclear physics; numerical quantum field theory and lattice QCD; Standard Model physics; heavy-quark physics; high-precision atomic physics and QED; computational physics and physics pedagogy
Research
QCD is the fundamental theory of quarks and gluons that explains the internal structure and interactions of protons, neutrons and other strongly interacting particles. A full solution of this theory relies upon numerical simulations. I am developing new techniques that have already made such simulations literally thousands of times faster, greatly extending the range of problems that can be studied. I am particularly interested in applications to the physics of hadrons containing heavy quarks. These advances rely upon renormalization techniques, especially effective field theories, that have many other applications in physics. I am pursuing new applications in high-precision atomic physics (QED), heavy-quark physics, nuclear physics, condensed-matter physics, and physics pedagogy.
Awards and Honors
Alfred P. Sloan Fellow, 1983; Fellow, American Physical Society, 1993; John Simon Guggenheim Fellow, 1996; American Academy of Arts and Sciences, 2008; American Physical Society Outstanding Referee, 2009; National Science Board, 2013–2018; J.J. Sakurai Prize for Theoretical Particle Physics, 2016; National Academy of Sciences, 2022.
Educational Background
B.Sc., 1972, McGill University. M.A.St. (Part III of Mathematics Tripos), 1973, University of Cambridge. Ph.D., 1978, Stanford University.
